Women's Rugby Thread

[Niegs]

Not many options apart from doing a Test series like the Bledisloe I guess. Spain got beat by SA last week, I hear. Canada whupped them all. A little trio of Fra, Eng, Can would be good.

[laurent]

The Irish management is dreadful. The old heads all left after the World Cup qualification debacle.

This should never have happened. The union putting the blame on the players they never supported was way to much and appalling.

[Jim Lahey]

Aren't the top-end pro contracts only 30k euros?

Lucky to be able to afford a cardboard box in Dublin on that money tbf. How much are the English/French/Welsh/Scottish/Italian ladies getting?

[laurent]

Aren't the top-end pro contracts only 30k euros?

Lucky to be able to afford a cardboard box in Dublin on that money tbf. How much are the English/French/Welsh/Scottish/Italian ladies getting?

French I am not sure some went to England When the clubs went pro there.

The club game here is quite dodgy,there has been many issues with clubs folding (due to Boards cutting the Womens team in some cases) .
Bayonne, Perpignan, Chilly-Mazarin in recent years (Chilly was a major injury crisis) .

Most of the French are still pluri-activity (semi pro) albeit the Semi part is for show.

[SaintK]

Aren't the top-end pro contracts only 30k euros?

Lucky to be able to afford a cardboard box in Dublin on that money tbf. How much are the English/French/Welsh/Scottish/Italian ladies getting?

England players prior to the last RWC. Not sure if there are image rights as well and have no idea how much they get paid by their clubs either

Players now receive between £26,000 and £33,000 per year for their England involvement.
The RFU told BBC Sport that match fees "vary across Test matches and tournaments" and "all 36 players in camp receive this fee, not just the matchday 23".
It is understood the RFU has increased the value of contracts by about 15-20% in the past year, with the vast majority of the union's revenue still coming from men's Tests at Twickenham.

[Niegs]

Ireland for the Wooden Spoon again I assume?

Pretty embarrassing getting smashed by 50 odd points against 14 players.

I have a lot of sympathy for that team. They are extremely callow, the fucking OH is 19 playing outside a newly capped SH and various shades of kid around. They are inevitably going to get milled out of it. I hold McWilliams also responsible as he has failed to get that message clearly across. There is a no excuses shtick and there is reality. The scrum half scenario is a good example. Few caps and was a wing. They have decided to stick her in there as she can pass and break. First match he moves her to the wing after a short while and puts on someone who couldn't hot a barndoor so moves her back into scrumhalf before the end. Brilliant management. He then tops it. He starts her again at scrumhalf and she goes pretty well. Nice passing, few breaks. Positionally a bit to learn but no howlers bar maybe one tracking a player after they passed should have gone harder as they got the return pass and scored. What's he do to the girl going well enough? Pulls her off completely at 50 mins and puts on another can't hit a barndoor. There would be howls of derision if a manager was doing that to a young lad. Anyway at half time against England he didn't know the score. He didn't realise the try had been disallowed. Had he gone to the jacks?

How do these people get hired?

Surely there are decent scrum halves in the AIL? Reminds me of our issue. SH isn't 'bad' but not great, no sub in last match. They do next to zero scouting across the country. It's a big country, but most of us film, would be happy to share...

[laurent]

Watched the French U18 6nation festival.

They are looking quite good. Not sure how good the Scots and Welsh were against England who seem to be the main opponent once again.

[laurent]

Little interest it seems in the 6 nations.

France and England likely to fight for the win and a slam.

Ireland really in the shits with terrible com and all the older wiser player gone. Wales showed they can beat Ireland and the Scots however completely outclassed by England (will watch that one later)

[Uncle fester]

Everyone is doing a poor job on this in Ireland. The IRFU have decided it is getting equal or near equal billing with the men's game. This is not some fluffy equality thing but tapping into a big market. They absolutely know they don't have the players and are neglecting to tell the public who have turned viciously on this group of young women. Online is a cesspool anyway but the glee at their demise is startling- all weirdo men. I have not been that bothered with women's rugby but by fuck I'll support it now if this is how they are going to be treated. The fucling commentator, a women, stuck the knife in constantly against Wales. Why? She knew they were kids.

The AIL is fücked. It's effectively a 3 team league and the big 3 work to keep it that way. Cronin has been having regular tantrums on twatter one of which was a Rassie-style rant on refs who he blamed as being one of the reasons why Ireland didn't make the world cup.

He's done an excellent job of deflecting attention to his own team's part in the failure of the AIL to prep players for international rugby.

[laurent]

Everyone is doing a poor job on this in Ireland. The IRFU have decided it is getting equal or near equal billing with the men's game. This is not some fluffy equality thing but tapping into a big market. They absolutely know they don't have the players and are neglecting to tell the public who have turned viciously on this group of young women. Online is a cesspool anyway but the glee at their demise is startling- all weirdo men. I have not been that bothered with women's rugby but by fuck I'll support it now if this is how they are going to be treated. The fucling commentator, a women, stuck the knife in constantly against Wales. Why? She knew they were kids.

The AIL is fücked. It's effectively a 3 team league and the big 3 work to keep it that way. Cronin has been having regular tantrums on twatter one of which was a Rassie-style rant on refs who he blamed as being one of the reasons why Ireland didn't make the world cup.

He's done an excellent job of deflecting attention to his own team's part in the failure of the AIL to prep players for international rugby.

That is disastrous. The Irish sis have some measure of success (a few years back) however this is looking terrible right now. Scotland and Wales are equally poor and Italy can put in a performance every now and then. The Unions need to get a move on I watched the U18 and there was not team that really threatened the French (the welsh got lucky with the weather so lost 7 -0 in a downpour) but overall they overplayed all comers.

This is not looking great for the competition when you dish out 50 points (as long as it's not pissing down).

[Uncle fester]

Which Cronin?

This gowl.


"Oh why is the league so poor? The bottom teams need to improve so we can poach all their better players and maintain our position."

[Uncle fester]

Also this post gives a hint why the union have been keen to see the last lot of players depart the international scene.
https://forum.planetrugby.com/viewtopic ... 0#p7516890

I didn’t say this on here at the time because she was still working there, but my missus ran weddings and events for a few years at a hotel in Dublin that the girls team stay in before their home games.

After a match a couple of years back, they trashed a banquet room and physically assaulted a couple of staff at the hotel. There was war about it and the IRFU got a massive bill for the damage. She said that in general, they were about as rude and unlikable a group as you’d ever come across.

She’s switched career now so I don’t care about bringing it up, but I remember reading a few comments on here at the time and thinking they made sense.

[Slick]

Everyone is doing a poor job on this in Ireland. The IRFU have decided it is getting equal or near equal billing with the men's game. This is not some fluffy equality thing but tapping into a big market. They absolutely know they don't have the players and are neglecting to tell the public who have turned viciously on this group of young women. Online is a cesspool anyway but the glee at their demise is startling- all weirdo men. I have not been that bothered with women's rugby but by fuck I'll support it now if this is how they are going to be treated. The fucling commentator, a women, stuck the knife in constantly against Wales. Why? She knew they were kids.

The AIL is fücked. It's effectively a 3 team league and the big 3 work to keep it that way. Cronin has been having regular tantrums on twatter one of which was a Rassie-style rant on refs who he blamed as being one of the reasons why Ireland didn't make the world cup.

He's done an excellent job of deflecting attention to his own team's part in the failure of the AIL to prep players for international rugby.

That is disastrous. The Irish sis have some measure of success (a few years back) however this is looking terrible right now. Scotland and Wales are equally poor and Italy can put in a performance every now and then. The Unions need to get a move on I watched the U18 and there was not team that really threatened the French (the welsh got lucky with the weather so lost 7 -0 in a downpour) but overall they overplayed all comers.

This is not looking great for the competition when you dish out 50 points (as long as it's not pissing down).

They really need a new competition and not just copy the men's game. I'm taking the kids to the next two Scotland games but didn't bother with the one against England

[Lobby]

The decline of the Irish women's team has been stark, and in marked contrast to the improvements being made by most other womens' teams.

Ireland women won the 6 Nations in 2013 (also a grand slam) and 2015, and in 2014 beat New Zealand 17-14 at the World Cup (the first Irish national team to beat a NZ team) where they reached the semi-finals. They ended up coming 4th, losing to France in the play off. This should have been a platform to build on, especially as Ireland were hosting the next World Cup in 2017.

Instead, they started to go backwards, with complaints about a lack of support from the IRFU. In 2017 Ireland came 8th, losing heavily to both Australia and Wales in the play offs. They failed even to qualify for the 2021 World Cup and now look odds on favourites for the Wooden Spoon in this years 6 Nations.

[Ovals]

Little interest it seems in the 6 nations.

France and England likely to fight for the win and a slam.

Ireland really in the shits with terrible com and all the older wiser player gone. Wales showed they can beat Ireland and the Scots however completely outclassed by England (will watch that one later)

To be fair, Wales matched England for the 1st 20-30 minutes and put them under a lot pf pressure - especially at the breakdown. Unfortunatley they fell away rapidly after that and it was one way traffic in the 2nd half. But, that 1st 30 mins showed considerable promise.

[laurent]

Little interest it seems in the 6 nations.

France and England likely to fight for the win and a slam.

Ireland really in the shits with terrible com and all the older wiser player gone. Wales showed they can beat Ireland and the Scots however completely outclassed by England (will watch that one later)

To be fair, Wales matched England for the 1st 20-30 minutes and put them under a lot pf pressure - especially at the breakdown. Unfortunatley they fell away rapidly after that and it was one way traffic in the 2nd half. But, that 1st 30 mins showed considerable promise.

That's the issue they still shipped 50 points. (still have not watched it but I will as these are the next 2 for the French ) .
I expect England to win this 6 nations (again).
I expect the Welsh and Italy will fight for the 3rd spot.

[Uncle fester]

Which Cronin?

This gowl.


"Oh why is the league so poor? The bottom teams need to improve so we can poach all their better players and maintain our position."

Ahhh Railway. They are a book unto themselves. He is a cheeky bastard writing all that knowing how they go about their business. Funnily enough had an argument with someone about them recently. Tgey want cash and tickets. Thats it. Nothing more.

I heard about the old crew of players and the response of some of them to this young team has been pathetic and almost gleeful. That's both from the point of view of being glad that the big bad IRFU is failing and most importantly of all failing without the amazing them

Also they kept throwing the support staff under the bus so nobody wanted to back them. Tom Tierney got an awful shoeing from them. He wasn't a brilliant coach but it wasn't him who had some of the players turning up to the world Cup looking like they had been on the CauCau diet for 12 months solid.

[eldanielfire]

Also this post gives a hint why the union have been keen to see the last lot of players depart the international scene.
https://forum.planetrugby.com/viewtopic ... 0#p7516890

I didn’t say this on here at the time because she was still working there, but my missus ran weddings and events for a few years at a hotel in Dublin that the girls team stay in before their home games.

After a match a couple of years back, they trashed a banquet room and physically assaulted a couple of staff at the hotel. There was war about it and the IRFU got a massive bill for the damage. She said that in general, they were about as rude and unlikable a group as you’d ever come across.

She’s switched career now so I don’t care about bringing it up, but I remember reading a few comments on here at the time and thinking they made sense.

That's interesting and possibly insightful. I was speaking with an Irish women last year who spoke a little bit about the team not being professional and the set-up being used as a glorified amateur style tour with some dirty stories involved, but wouldn't expand. Used some slang term for certain kind of women I think that went over my head.

[TheNatalShark]

Scotland doing their best at this moment to try lose this, defending with too much width

[Lobby]

Scotland doing their best at this moment to try lose this, defending with too much width

Slick will be delighted. They managed to hold on and secure a bonus point win. Good chance they'll beat Ireland next week, so could finish 4th in the table.

[laurent]

After the French - Welsh game I am fairly certain the grand slam is already in England's pocket. The French got bullied in the second Half. The forwards are physical enough but way to nice and the Welsh capitalised on it.

The English will just do the same with the added bonus that they have backs that can play rugby (rather than whatever the welsh have).

[ASMO]

Englands bench options are also ridiculous too, most of whom could easily be starters. When you think of who is still missing, Scarrett, Cleal, Infante, Ward, they are just getting stronger.

[Ovals]

Englands bench options are also ridiculous too, most of whom could easily be starters. When you think of who is still missing, Scarrett, Cleal, Infante, Ward, they are just getting stronger.

We could do with Packer, Cleal and Cokayne all being fit for the France game. Packer, in particular, has an enormous influence on how well we play.

[Ovals]

England: Kildunne; Dow, Rowland, Heard, MacDonald; Aitchison, L Packer; Botterman, Davies, Bern; Aldcroft, Beckett; Kabeya, M Packer (capt), Matthews.

Replacements: Powell, Carson, Muir, Cleall, Talling, Hunt, Reed, Breach.


Good squad - looks strong. Cleal adds a lot to the the bench strength. Weather is looking good for Saturday so should be a great game. Big step up for both sides from playing the other 4 teams in the 6N.

[eldanielfire]

Englands bench options are also ridiculous too, most of whom could easily be starters. When you think of who is still missing, Scarrett, Cleal, Infante, Ward, they are just getting stronger.

We could do with Packer, Cleal and Cokayne all being fit for the France game. Packer, in particular, has an enormous influence on how well we play.

Packer is, Cleall is back on the bench.

[laurent]

I doubt the Girls will be able to offer Jessie another Slam for her last game in blue. The forwards are too soft to beat England.

Team is not announced yet

[laurent]

Team is up

[SaintK]

England 33-0 up at half time against France at Twickenham.
Took them 15 minutes to settle and then a blitz of tries.
France down to 13 players for last few minutes of the half

[laurent]

England 33-0 up at half time against France at Twickenham.
Took them 15 minutes to settle and then a blitz of tries.
France down to 13 players for last few minutes of the half

Whereas England Should have had at least their 9 yellowed... Somehow it's only a penalty when you take a player out in the air in your 5 meters.

Even the Scotish ref is not that blinkered.

Going to be a drubbing (not watching anymore it's too one sided). (60+ 0) worse than Ireland or Scotland. I feel Sorry for Jessie.

[Tichtheid]

England 33-0 up at half time against France at Twickenham.
Took them 15 minutes to settle and then a blitz of tries.
France down to 13 players for last few minutes of the half

Whereas England Should have had at least their 9 yellowed... Somehow it's only a penalty when you take a player out in the air in your 5 meters.

Even the Scotish ref is not that blinkered.

Going to be a drubbing (not watching anymore it's too one sided). (60+ 0) worse than Ireland or Scotland. I feel Sorry for Jessie.

The second half was a different game entirely, it was all France, it ended up 38-33. I only saw the last twenty minutes but it was said that France missed a few conversions and penalties

[Lobby]

England 33-0 up at half time against France at Twickenham.
Took them 15 minutes to settle and then a blitz of tries.
France down to 13 players for last few minutes of the half

Whereas England Should have had at least their 9 yellowed... Somehow it's only a penalty when you take a player out in the air in your 5 meters.

Even the Scotish ref is not that blinkered.

Going to be a drubbing (not watching anymore it's too one sided). (60+ 0) worse than Ireland or Scotland. I feel Sorry for Jessie.

The second half was a different game entirely, it was all France, it ended up 38-33. I only saw the last twenty minutes but it was said that France missed a few conversions and penalties

France missed one conversion and one penalty kick. England missed two conversions, so not a significant difference really.

[SaintK]

England 33-0 up at half time against France at Twickenham.
Took them 15 minutes to settle and then a blitz of tries.
France down to 13 players for last few minutes of the half

Whereas England Should have had at least their 9 yellowed... Somehow it's only a penalty when you take a player out in the air in your 5 meters.

Even the Scotish ref is not that blinkered.

Going to be a drubbing (not watching anymore it's too one sided). (60+ 0) worse than Ireland or Scotland. I feel Sorry for Jessie.

The second half was a different game entirely, it was all France, it ended up 38-33. I only saw the last twenty minutes but it was said that France missed a few conversions and penalties

Bloody hell
That was close. Had to go out so missed it

[Blackmac]

Whereas England Should have had at least their 9 yellowed... Somehow it's only a penalty when you take a player out in the air in your 5 meters.

Even the Scotish ref is not that blinkered.

Going to be a drubbing (not watching anymore it's too one sided). (60+ 0) worse than Ireland or Scotland. I feel Sorry for Jessie.

The second half was a different game entirely, it was all France, it ended up 38-33. I only saw the last twenty minutes but it was said that France missed a few conversions and penalties

Bloody hell
That was close. Had to go out so missed it

France were superb in the second half. It's a pity it hadn't been a more balanced game rather than the ultimate game of two halves.

[Happyhooker]

Twickenham was excellent yesterday. Really good crowd, much more interested in the rugby than the usual braying Twickenham arseholes. Decent game as well, the french comeback was excellent.

The historical aspect of the game also seemed to mean a lot to people.

Although if you were an academic researching the behavioural patterns of drunk lesbians, Twickenham high st after the game would have given you years of research data

[eldanielfire]

Twickenham was excellent yesterday. Really good crowd, much more interested in the rugby than the usual braying Twickenham arseholes. Decent game as well, the french comeback was excellent.

The historical aspect of the game also seemed to mean a lot to people.

Although if you were an academic researching the behavioural patterns of drunk lesbians, Twickenham high st after the game would have given you years of research data

Agree with all of this. Really a great vibe there. I went straight home, a shame I missed the high street antics

[eldanielfire]

Almsot Rugby pass is claiming John Mitchell will take over form Middleton in a move nobody saw coming at all. Great tos ee the RFU are going big. Be interesting if he's the right guy.

[Niegs]

Almsot Rugby pass is claiming John Mitchell will take over form Middleton in a move nobody saw coming at all. Great tos ee the RFU are going big. Be interesting if he's the right guy.

What is his actual claim to fame in recent years? I’d be more interested to see someone who’s an actual thinking person’s coach (assuming he’s not, maybe he is?). England have the talent already to be the best, could seemingly do with a player’s manager to ensure they’re maximizing talent than someone who might be more of a ‘do as I say’ master strategist.

[eldanielfire]

Almsot Rugby pass is claiming John Mitchell will take over form Middleton in a move nobody saw coming at all. Great tos ee the RFU are going big. Be interesting if he's the right guy.

What is his actual claim to fame in recent years? I’d be more interested to see someone who’s an actual thinking person’s coach (assuming he’s not, maybe he is?). England have the talent already to be the best, could seemingly do with a player’s manager to ensure they’re maximizing talent than someone who might be more of a ‘do as I say’ master strategist.

He certainly upped Eddie Jones England side, who where clearly worse after he left. But give he has a bit iof history, is he the right kind of guy for the women?

[Uncle fester]

Twickenham was excellent yesterday. Really good crowd, much more interested in the rugby than the usual braying Twickenham arseholes. Decent game as well, the french comeback was excellent.

The historical aspect of the game also seemed to mean a lot to people.

Although if you were an academic researching the behavioural patterns of drunk lesbians, Twickenham high st after the game would have given you years of research data

I have carried out a good deal of academic research in this area and would like to know more.

[SaintK]

Almsot Rugby pass is claiming John Mitchell will take over form Middleton in a move nobody saw coming at all. Great tos ee the RFU are going big. Be interesting if he's the right guy.

What is his actual claim to fame in recent years? I’d be more interested to see someone who’s an actual thinking person’s coach (assuming he’s not, maybe he is?). England have the talent already to be the best, could seemingly do with a player’s manager to ensure they’re maximizing talent than someone who might be more of a ‘do as I say’ master strategist.

Some more detail on Mitchell's appointment
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/202 ... ted-rfu